Numbering-machine.



PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

B. G. BATES. NUMBERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N. i W

WITNESSES:

MZ 2M AATTORNEYS No. 784,729. Patented March 14, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

EDWIN G. RATES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BATES MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEXV JERSEY.

NUMBERlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,729, dated IJlarch 14, 1905.

Application filed July 7,1904. Serial No. 215,614.

To whom it y concern: machine and the length of stroke required for Beit known that I, EDWIN Gr. BATES, a citi a printing operation to a minimum. 5 Zen of the United States of America, and a 1 will now proceed to describe a numberresident of the city, county, and State of New ing-machine embodying my invention and will York, have invented certain new and useful then point out the novel features in claims.

Improvements in Numbering Machines, of In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in front which the following is a specification, referelevation of a machine embodying my invenonce being had to the accompanying drawings, tion. Fig. 2 is a view in .rear elevation of the forming a part thereof. same. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the 10 My invention relates to improvements in operatin mechanism of the machine, the stanumbering-machines, and particularly to that tionary frame and handpiece being shown in class of hand numbering-machines in which central vertical section. Fig. 4 is a similar the mechanism for rotating the numberingview with the parts in'a different position and wheels to bring different numbers opposite the plane of section through the frame being 5 the printing-point is actuated by means of a taken in front of the handpiece and operathand-lever. In this style of machine depresing-stem. Fig. 5 is a similar view with the sion of the wheel-carrier for a printing operaparts in still another position. tion has no effect on the mechanism for rotat- The stationary form of the machine comingthe wheels, the latter mechanism being acprises an inverted-U-shaped body-piece 1, a

20 tuateol byanindependenthand-operated lever. tubular extension 2, and a base-plate 3. The

Provision must be made during the first porwheel-carrier comprises a frame 3 and an option of the depressing movement of the wheelcrating-stem 4. The operating-stem passes carrier to swing the ink-pad and its supporting through a perforation in the U-shaped bodymechanism out of the path of movement of the piece and through the tubular extension. A

5 wheel-carrier and for returning the ink-pad handpiece 5 is secured to the upper end of during the latter portion ofthe return movethe operating-stem 4, as by a screw-threaded ment of the ink-carrier, so as to supply fresh connection. The handpiece 5 is counterink for a new printing operation. The norbored, as at 6, to receive the upper end of the mal rest position of the ink-pad is therefore tubular extension 2, and acoiled spring 7, ar-

3 against the printing-wheel, and as the most ranged around the stem 4 and between it convenient time for rotating the numberingand the tubular extension 2, bears at its lower wheels to bring around new numbers for subend against a shoulder 8, formed in the main 0 sequent printing operations is during the norframe of the machine, and a shoulder 9, mal return or rest position of the parts it will formed as the base of the counter-bore 6. The

35 follow that somemeans should be arranged for spring and stem are thus completely housed, moving the ink-pad sufiiciently at least to while free reciprocal movement of the handclear the peripheries of the wheels during the piece 5 and wheel-carrierwith respect to the 8 5 rotation thereof. stationary frame is permitted.

One of the main objects of this invention, The wheel-carrier 3 supports a wheel-shaft 4 then, is to provide a simple means whereby 10, whose ends protrude and are received in the ink-pad may be carried away from conslots 11 in the inner faces of the legs or tact with the numbering-wheels while they are standards 12 of the stationary frame. Snit- 9 being rotated. able numbering-wheels 13 are mounted upon Other objects of my invention are to sim the said wheel-shaft 10 and are arranged to 45 plify the actuating mechanism for the ink-pad be rotated by pawls in a manner well known carrier, to simplify the construction of the in this type of machine. The wheel-carrier working mechanism, to reduce the number of 3 also forms a support for a hand-lever 14C, parts employed, and to reduce the size of the pivoted thereto at 15, said lever having arms 16, which carry the wheel-actuating pawls 17. The wheel-actuating pawls 17 are pivoted to the arm 16 at 18 and are arranged to en gage ratchet-teeth 19, with which the numbering-wheels 13 are provided, as is usual. A spring 20 acts as a return-spring, against the resistance of which the hand-lever is depressed to actuate the numbering-wheels.

The machine is provided with two operating-arms 21, one on each side of the machine and pivotally connected to the legs or standards of the stationary frame at 22. These operating-arms swing quite freely from their pivots 22, but are maintained in their proper positions by means of a slotted engagement with the wheel-shaft 19. The said arms have each a slot 23, through which the ends of the shaft pass and on which the shaft may freely play. The operating-arms 21 form a swinging support for an ink-pad 24:, which is pivoted to the said arms by pins 25. Links 26, of which there are two, one upon each side of the machine, are pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the ink-pad carrier at 27 and the wheel-carrier at 28. When pressureis applied to the handpiece to force the wheel-carrier down to the printing position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the lirst downward movement of the said carrier throws the inkpad carrier downward and outward away from contact with the peripheries of the numbering-wheels. The links 26 operate to swing the ink-pad carrier around on its axis 25, while the cam-like action of the shaft 19 in the slot 23 throws the operating-arms, and hence the ink-pad carrier, out in the same direction bodily. The result will be that the ink-pad will not only clear the periphery of the wheels,

but the pad and its carrier will be thrown clear of the actuating-lever 14. This is all clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The actuating-lever, it will be understood, is carried down \vitlrtlie wheel-carrier, being mounted on and supported by the same. Reciprocation of the wheel-carrier for the printing operation, as above described, will in no wise affect the actuating-lever 1a or the mechanism controlled thereby, which operates to rotate the wheels.

Operation of the lever 14 is arranged to be effected when the machine is in its normal retracted position, in which position the parts are shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings. To rotate the numbering-wheels, it is necessary to depress the actuating-lever 14, bringing it to a position substantially as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and then permitting it to return under action of the spring 20. It will be remembered, however, that when the parts are in the normal out-of-operation position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the ink-pad is in engagement with the periphcry of the wheels, and should pressure be applied to rotate the wheels while the pad is in such engagement the result will be a serious wearing of the pad. To avoid this, 1 provide the actuating-lever with one or more lugs or projections 29, which are arranged to engage the upper faces 30 of the ink-pad carrier 24. The lugs or projections in the normal position of the parts are just out of contact with the ink-pad carrier, but upon the first movement of the actuating-lever let engage the said faces 30 and depress the ink-pad carrier sufficiently to move the ink-pad out of peripheral engagement with the numbering-wheels. the rest of the movement the lever 14L will complete actuation of the numbering-wheels, giving same a single step-by-step movement at each reciprocation thereof in a manner well known.

By the foregoing arrangement it will be seen that 1 have provided a very simple mechanism for throwing the ink-carrier clear of the reciprocating parts when the machine is operated for the printing operation, and by the particular arrangement and construction of the parts shown I have been enabled to provide a small compact machine with shortstandards. It will further be seen that my construction provides a simple and effective means for moving the ink-pad away from the periphcry of the Wheels when the wheels are revolved to change the numbers brought to a printing position.

lt will be obvious that the foregoing is but one embodiment of my invention and that the same is capable of many and varied modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention and, further, that certain parts may be employed in connection with other parts of different construction. Hence I do not desire to be limited only to the precise details of construction and combination of parts herein.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a stationary frame and a reciprocating wheel-carrier, of an operating-arm pivoted to the stationary frame, and having a slotted connection with a portion carried by the said wheel-carrier, a swinging ink-pad carrier pivotally connected to and carried by the said operating-arm, and a link pivotally connected at its opposite ends with the said ink-pad carrier and wheel-carrier respectively.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a stationary frame, a reciprocating wheel-carrier and a wheel-shaft carried thereby, of an operating-arm pivoted to the stationary frame and having a slotted connection with the said wheel-shaft, a swinging ink-pad carrier pivoted to the said operating-arm, and a link pivotally connected at its opposite ends with the said ink-pad carrier and wheel-carrier respectively.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a stationary frame having legs or standards 12, said legs or stand- Durlng ioo ards having longitudinal grooves 11 therein, a wheel-carrier mounted to reciprocate between said standards, and a wheel-shaft carried thereby, the ends of said shaft extending beyond the said wheel-carrier, and received within said grooves 11, of operatingarms located one each upon each side of the wheel-carrier and between the said wheel-carrier and the said standards, and pivoted to the said standards, said operating-arms having a slotted connection with the said wheelshaft, a swinging ink-pad carrier pivoted to said operating-arms, and links connected each at their opposite ends with the said ink-pad carrier and wheel-carrier respectively.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a stationary frame and a reciprocating wheel-carrier, of an operating-arm pivoted to the stationary frame and having a slotted connection with a portion carried by the said wheel-carrier, a swinging ink-pad carrier pivotally connected to and carried by the said operating-arm, a link pivotally connected at its opposite ends with the said ink-pad carrier and wheel-carrier respectively, and an actuating-lever carried by said Wheel-carrier, said actuating-lever comprising means for imparting a limited movement to the ink-pad carrier.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a stationary frame, a reciprocating wheel-carrier, a wheel -shaft carried thereby, and a wheel-actuating lever, also carried by said wheel-carrier, of an operating-arm pivoted to the stationary frame, and having a slotted connection with the said wheel-shaft, a swinging ink-pad carrier piyoted to the said operating-arm, and a link pivotally connected at its opposite ends with the said ink-pad carrier and wheel-carrier respectively, said actuating-lever having a portion adapted to engage said ink-pad carrier when said lever is moved for a wheel-actuating operation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my -hand this 28th day of June, 1904.

EDVIN G. BATES. W'itnesses A. B. CARHART, (J. L. HALL. 

